What is a Debugged/Checked build

[PaulyStones]

Like the title says...what is the difference between a "regular"version of W7 Pro
and a Debugged/checked Build?

I have the opportunity to get authorized copies for free thru school...and the descriptions are the same.

 

[logicearth]

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/ff543457(v=vs.85).aspx

The free build (or retail build)

The free build of Microsoft Windows is used in production environments. The free build of the operating system is built with full compiler optimizations. When the free build discovers correctable problems, it continues to run.

The checked build (or debug build)

The checked build of Microsoft Windows makes identifying and diagnosing operating-system-level problems easier.
The checked build differs from the free build in the following ways:

Many compiler optimizations (such as stack frame elimination) are disabled in the checked build. This makes it easier to understand disassembled machine instructions, and therefore it is easier to trace the cause of problems in system software.

The checked build enables a large number of debugging checks in the operating system code and system-provided drivers. This helps the checked build to identify internal inconsistencies and problems as soon as they occur.

Because the checked build contains fewer optimizations and more debugging checks than the free build, the checked build is both larger in size and slower to run than the free build. As a result, the free build is used in production environments unless it is necessary to use the checked build to identify serious problems.

debugging - Where can I get Windows checked build? - Stack Overflow

Only really need it if you are developing a driver. Do not use a checked build of Windows as an everyday OS. It will drive you insane.

 

[PaulyStones]

Thanks...the only part I understood was the part after the quoted text...

Safe to assume you would want the Debugged version if you were taking a hardware/software trouble shooting class or the like?

 

[LMiller7]

Anyone with the knowledge necessary to use a checked build would be thoroughly familiar with the quoted text above, and a great deal more. The checked build would be primarily useful to someone developing device drivers. This is advanced programming.